EP-1
“Sharma and Malhotra—same bench.”
Silence.
Then chaos.
Preeti Sharma/FL
"No! No! No!"
Preeti stood up like she’d been personally attacked.
Preeti Sharma/FL
“Ma’am, that’s illegal.”
The entire class turned, half hiding their giggles. Preeti Sharma looked absolutely horrified, as if she’d been asked to marry a lizard.
The teacher didn’t flinch. “Illegal or not, you’re sitting with Riyan Malhotra for the rest of the semester.”
Riyan, sitting two rows back, smirked slowly—like a villain entering stage left.
Riyan malhotra/ML
“Looks like someone’s prayers finally got answered.” he drawled lazily, rising from his seat and slinging his bag over one shoulder.
Preeti Sharma/FL
She scoffed. “Yeah, Satan’s.”
As he walked past Aarav—his best friend and her secret crush—Preeti tried not to look. She still felt fluttery around Aarav. But her attention snapped back to Riyan the moment he sat beside her and placed his annoyingly expensive perfume-scented self right in her space.
Riyan malhotra/ML
“You smell poor.” he said, wrinkling his nose.
Preeti Sharma/FL
“And you smell like daddy’s ego dipped in Gucci.” she shot back, scooting away dramatically.
Riyan malhotra/ML
He leaned in with a grin. “Missed me, didn’t you?”
Preeti Sharma/FL
“I’d rather sit with a cactus.”
Riyan malhotra/ML
“You kind of already are.”
Preeti Sharma/FL
She blinked. “Excuse me?!”
Riyan malhotra/ML
He smirked. “You poke, you hiss, and you look like you haven’t been watered since 2003.”
Preeti gasped so loudly the girl in front flinched.
Preeti Sharma/FL
“Ma’am!” she snapped. “Is verbal abuse covered in tuition fees? Or is that a rich boy add-on?”
The teacher sighed like she regretted all her life choices. “One more word from either of you and I’ll make you partners for the science project.”
Dead silence.
Preeti and Riyan froze and slowly turned to look at each other—both horrified.
Preeti Sharma/FL
“Truce?” she whispered under her breath.
Riyan malhotra/ML
“For now.” he muttered.
But five minutes later, he stole her pen.
And she stabbed his notebook with a compass.
The war had officially begun.
Preeti tried not to smile.
Tried being the keyword.
Aarav Mehta, the boy who had once helped her pick up her books in the hallway and casually tucked her hair behind her ear last week, was looking at her.
Not just looking—smiling. That slow, heart-thudding kind of smile that made every other boy seem irrelevant.
Preeti felt her cheeks heat up.
She looked away.
Looked down.
Looked anywhere except at him.
And completely ignored the death glare being thrown at her from exactly six inches away.
Riyan was watching it all.
With the intensity of a jealous cat watching its owner pet another animal.
His pen paused mid-scribble.
His jaw clenched.
And then—
SNAP.
Preeti jumped.
Preeti Sharma/FL
"Did you just break your pen?"
Riyan malhotra/ML
He didn’t look at her. "It slipped."
Preeti Sharma/FL
"Yeah? Sounded more like a murder attempt."
Riyan malhotra/ML
"Well, your face is killing me, so… fair."
She rolled her eyes, biting back a smile.
But just as she turned back to Aarav—who was still looking at her—Riyan suddenly leaned over and knocked her book off the table.
Riyan malhotra/ML
“Oh no,” he said in the most fake-dramatic voice ever. “Clumsy me.”
Preeti Sharma/FL
“Are you twelve?!”
Riyan malhotra/ML
“I’m sorry.” he said innocently, “Was your moment with Romeo getting too intense? Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Preeti Sharma/FL
Her eyes narrowed. “Are you jealous?”
Riyan malhotra/ML
He smirked. “Please. I’m just protective of the bench. It doesn’t deserve to witness that much cringe.”
But Preeti caught it—the way his eyes flicked to Aarav, then back to her. The way his jaw flexed every time she blushed. The way his hand was clenched around the pencil like it owed him money.
The bell rang.
Preeti stood up, gathering her books. Riyan stood too, a little too close behind her.
Riyan malhotra/ML
“You’re glowing, Sharma.” he whispered as she turned.
Preeti Sharma/FL
She blinked. “What?”
Riyan malhotra/ML
He leaned in, voice low. “Too bad it’s for the wrong guy.”
Riyan malhotra/ML
“You do realize..” he said quietly, “He flirts with every girl in this room. You’re just this week’s edition.”
Preeti Sharma/FL
She turned to him, offended. “You don’t know that!”
Riyan malhotra/ML
He met her gaze—calm, quiet, burning.
“I know him better than you ever will.”
And for a moment, his voice didn’t sound sarcastic.
It sounded like a warning.
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